Brighton Rock: 1960s Themed Trip

What with travel chaos following the airport strikes in France this week and the delay of over 30,000 UK passport applications this summer, perhaps now is as good a time as any to look closer to home for that relaxing mini-break. This thought occurred to me as we travelled to Brighton this week. We were headed to a venue called The Haunt to see Chuck Ragan, an American folk-punk rock singer. I’d forgotten how much I love Brighton, which offers the cosmopolitan outlook of a hip-and-happening city combined with a laid-back seaside vibe. Before I’d even been to Brighton I had two very marked impressions of this town. The first was after reading Grahame Greene’s, murder thriller, Brighton Rock. In fact I recently watched the 2010 remake of the 1938 film, and although the novel and original film are both set in the 1930s, this latest adaptation takes place in Brighton and is set during the Mods and Rockers era of the 1960s. My second lasting impression of this costal town is also of a 1960s Brighton – when I was a mere whippersnapper, I remember watching Carry on Girls on the tele – I think the closing scene involves a moped jaunt from London to Brighton, Barbara Windsor in stockings and a cheeky chappy named Sid. Speaking of 1960s throwbacks (see what I did there) our trip had a bit of a 1960s twist.

I discovered this rad little guesthouse called Snooze, in Kemptown, located a mile or so east of Brighton Pier. Two couples, friends, renovated this once run-down property in 2006 and have spent long hours salvaging hidden gems and pieces from bygone eras to transform them into snoozed-up furnishings. They trawled through skips, flea markets and boot fairs to create funky themed rooms which certainly reflect their passions. Above: We slept like 1960s beatniks and rockers in this beautiful room.

Out of all the thirty countries I’ve travelled to, and countless city breaks I’ve been on, I must say that this three-hour jaunt in the car to the south coast was one of my favourite mini-breaks of all time. It helped that we had stunning weather, which can often make or break any trip. It also made me desperate to see the film Quadrrophenia, a film set in Brighton about the infamous 1964 clash between mods and rockers. Sadly I can’t seem to find it online so if anyone knows how I can get me a copy, please do reply to this pot. One night, sleeping two in this double-bedroom ‘Room 2’ costs £95 and includes a lovely choice of breakfast options. We had the veggie breakfast. For more info go to www.snoozebrighton.com